Chemistry keeps evolving in new directions. Research has provided improved methodologies for the design and synthesis of targeted molecules. At the same time, the 21st century is witnessing increasing concern about the environmental impacts of chemical wastes. A new philosophy of chemical research and engineering has emerged, known as «Green chemistry». This concept encourages the design of products, processes and technologies that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances. Therefore, there is an urge to develop environmentally friendly process to convert molecules into product of interest.
In the present thesis, we describe the synthesis, characterization and catalytic properties of a novel alkylimidazolium-modified β-cyclodextrin (-CD). Our strategy was to construct a single amphiphilic bimodal ligand by the combination of a mass transfer unit (-CD), covalently bound to a ligand moiety (alkylimidazolium, an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursor) for aqueous catalysis. First, we demonstrated that the introduction of a dodecyl chain on the imidazolium moiety attached to the primary face of a native β-CD allows the formation of a highly active micellar self-assembled catalytic system in neat water with remarkable recyclable properties for the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling. In addition, we studied the versatility of this self-assembled bimodal system by performing Heck coupling in neat water.